Substance and mantle for incandescent gas-lights.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS HICKS, OF ENGLE'WOOD, NEl/V JERSEY.

SUBSTANCE AND'MANTLE FOR INCANDESCENT GAS-LIGHTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 703,064, dated June24, 1902.

. :rnucation filed December 28, 1900. Serial No. 41,413. (No model.)

To all whom, it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS HICKS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Englewood, Bergen county, and State of New Jersey, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Substances and Mantles forIncandescent Gas-Lights, of which the followingis a specification.

The metals heretofore used in the manufacture of mantles or hoods forincandescent gas-lights may be divided into two classes. The first classconsists of those metals which are not known with certainty to formsalts or oxids of more than one stage of oxidation or which if they do,in fact, form salts or oxids of more than one stage of oxidation are ofsuch character that the oxids are not readily transformed from the lowerto the higher stage of oxidation, and vice versa. Examples of the firstclass are thoriu m,zirconium,lanthanum,yttrium,aluminium,calcium,andmagnesium, The second class consists ofthose metals which are known with certainty to form oxids of two or morestages of oxidation which are readily transformed from the lower to thehigher stage of oxidation, and vice versa. Examples of the second classare cerium, uranium, praseodymium, chromium, and manganese. The platinummetals which condense oxygen on their surfaces are to be included in thesecond class.

I-Ieretofore it has been supposed that amantle or hood composed of acompound of the oxids in varying proportions of two or more of themetals above mentioned of the first class would when subjected to thenon-luminous flame of an ordinary Bunsen burner yield a light of greatintensity. Experiment shows, however, that such is not the fact.Especially it has been supposed that a mantle composed of a compound ofthe oxid of thorium and a comparatively small percentage of the oxid oflanthanum or of the oxid of yttrium would when subjected to thenonluminous flame ofthe ordinaryBunsen burner yield a light of highilluminating power. Experiment shows, however, that such is not the factand that neither the oxid of lanthanum nor the oxid of yttrium nor theknown oxid of any other metal of the first class is capable of acting asan excitant to the oxid of thorium. In order to produce a mantle orincandescent substance possessing great ray power, vivid incandescence,or high illuminating power, it is necessary to add to the oxid of one ormore metals of the first class a small percentage-generally notexceeding one or two per cent.--of the oxid of one or more metals of thesecond class. For example, a mantle of high illuminating power may bemanufactured from a compound consisting of ninety-nine per cent. of theoxid of aluminium and one per cent. of the oxid of chromium.

I have discovered that lanthanum and yttrium have properties which foruse in incandescent gas-lighting make them like thorium and the othermetals above mentioned of the first class and different from cerium andthe other metals above mentioned of the second class. I havediscoveredthatasmall percentage (about one per cent.) of the oxid 0fcerium is capable of exciting tohigh illuminating power the oxid oflanthanum and the oxid of yttrium. A mantle composed of the oxid oflanthanum or of the oxid of yttrium and a small percentage of the oxidof cerium would not, however, beadurable mantle. An addition of the oxidof thorium gives durability and strength. A compound of the oxid ofthorium and of the oxid of lanthanum or of the'oxid of thorium and ofthe oxid of yttrium possesses great durability; but such a compound doesnot possess high illuminating power, in no matter what proportion, largeor small, the oxid of lanthanum or the oxid of yttrium may be added tothe oxid of thorium. The addition of a large percentage, preferably notexceeding fifty per cent., of the oxid of lanthanum or of the oxid ofyttrium to the oxid of thorium forms a compound which I have discoveredis capable of producing an incandescent substance ormantle of highilluminating power when there is added. to it a small percentage of theoxid of one or more metals of. the second group, pref-v erably the oxidof cerium. It is of advantage to use the oxid of lanthanum or the oxidof yttrium or the combined oxids of lanthanum and of yttrium in acomparatively large percentage, since a light of great intensity isproduced by the action therewith of a comparatively small percentage ofthe oxid of one or more metals of the second group, preferably the oxidof cerium, and when there is present also in the compound an addition ofthe oxid of thorium a mantle or incandescent substance possessing greatstrength and durability as well as high illuminating power is obtained.

The oxids of the metals of the second class can be used to advantage inthe non-luminous fiame of the ordinary Bunsen burner in smallpercentages only with oxids of the metals of the first class. Forinstance, if in a mantle composed of theoXids of thorium and cerium tenper cent. and not one per cent. of the oxid of cerium be used theilluminating power of the mantle is exceedingly low. The oxids oflanthanum and of yttrium difier from the oxids of the second class inthis respect and are like the oXid of thorium and other metals abovementioned of the first class. When, therefore, a small percentage of theoxid of cerium is added toacompound of the oxid of thorium and of theoxid of lanthanum or to a compound of the oXid of thorium and of theoxid of yttrium, the oXid of cerium excites the combined oxids ofthorium and lanthanum and the combined oxids of thorium and yttrium.Neither the oXid of lanthanum nor the oxid of yttrium when present inlarge percentage acts as the maid of cerium acts in reducing thecandle-power of the mantle when the oxid of cerium is presentin largepercentage; but since the oxids of lanthanum and of yttrium haveproperties like the properties of the oxid of thorium and not like theproperties of the oxid of cerium when the oxid of cerium is added insmall percentage, as above described, it excites to high luminosity notonly the OXld of thorium, but also the oxid of lanthanum or the oxid ofyttrium, of which the mantle is composed.

A mantle composed of eighty-nine per cent. oxid of thorium, ten percent. oxid of lanthanum or ten per cent. oxid of yttrium, and one percent. oxid of cerium possesses great durability and high illuminatingpower. The oxid of thorium may be replaced in Whole or in part by theoxid of any one or more of the hereinbefore-mentioned metals of thefirst class, preferably zirconium or aluminium; but I prefer to use theoxid of thorium. Since the oxid of lanthanum and the maid of yttriumhave like properties, the oxid of lanthanum and the oxid of yttrium maybe replaced by a comparatively large percentage of the combined oxids oflanthanum and of yttrium.

What I claim is 1. Ahood or frame for an incandescent gaslightconsisting substantially of oXid of thorium,a comparatively largepercentage of oXid of lanthanum and a comparatively small percentage ofoxid of cerium, substantially as described.

2. A hood or frame for an incandescent gaslight consisting substantiallyof oxid of thorium,a comparatively large percentage of oxid of yttriumand a comparatively small percentage of oxid of cerium, substantially asdescribed.

3. A hood or frame foran incandescent gaslight composed substantially ofoxid of thorium, a comparatively large percentage of the combined oxidsof lanthanum and of yttrium, and a comparatively small percentage ofoxid of cerium, substantially as described.

4. A hood or frame for an incandescent gaslight consisting substantiallyof oxid of thoriu m,a comparatively large percentage of oxid oflanthanum and a comparatively small percentage of any one or more of theoxids of the hereinbefore-mentioned metals of the sec- 0nd class,substantially as described.

5. A hood or frame for an incandescent gaslight consisting substantiallyof oxid of thorium, a comparatively large percentage of the oxid ofyttrium and a comparatively small percentage of any one or more of theoxids of the hereinbeforc-mentioned metals of the second class,substantially as described.

6. A substance for an incandescent gaslight consisting substantially ofthe oxid of any one or more of the hereinbefore-mentioned metals of thefirst class, a comparatively large percentage of oxid of lanthanum and acomparatively small percentage of the oxid of any one or more of thehereinbeforcmentioned metals of the second class, substantially asdescribed.

7. A substance for an incandescent gaslight consisting substantially ofthe oxid of any one or more of the hereinbefore-men tioned metals of thefirst class, a comparatively large percentage of oxid of yttrium and acomparatively small percentage of the oxid of any one or more of thehereinbefore-mentioned metals of the second class, substantially asdescribed.

8. A substance for an incandescent gaslight consisting substantially ofthe oxid of any one or more of the hereinbefore-mentioned metals of thefirst class, a comparatively large percentage of the combined oxids oflanthanum and yttrium and a comparatively small percentage of the oxidof any one or more of the hereinbefore-mentioned metals of the secondclass, substantiallyas described.

In Witness whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses, on this 24th day of December,1900.

LOUIS HICKS.

Witnesses:

GRACE GREMMOND, THOMAS P. DALTON.

